So it's time to start transitioning from my Flash Gordon restoration to my next project. I was going to go with fathom but after setting it up, it's going to take some work getting it playing. On the other hand, Medusa is 100% playing.

This one came from Aurich out in sunny California. I have some modest (compared to my Flash Gordon) customizations in mind. My biggest hurdle is deciding on powder coating colors. Gold/bronze has been done so I was hoping to go in a new direction. In the end I may do gold as well since it lends itself to that color so well.

As she sits:

IMG_2393 (resized).JPGIMG_2394 (resized).JPGIMG_2395 (resized).JPGIMG_2396 (resized).JPGIMG_2403 (resized).JPGIMG_2402 (resized).JPG

And with the playfield out of the cabinet and into the rotisserie. Man oh man Bally packed this game to the gills. Quite the state of the art game for its time.

IMG_2401 (resized).JPG
IMG_2400 (resized).JPG

The deconstruction of the cabinet begins.
IMG_2511 (resized).JPGIMG_2519 (resized).JPGIMG_2447 (resized).JPGIMG_2454 (resized).JPGIMG_2459 (resized).JPG

...and empty:

IMG_2538 (resized).JPGIMG_2539 (resized).JPGIMG_2540 (resized).JPG

Starting of the process of glueing the cabinet back together. The necks are always separated and this one took it pretty badly over the last 30 plus years.

IMG_2536 (resized).JPGIMG_2537 (resized).JPG

Working on a nasty chip in the head. About a 1/2" thick 1"x2.5" in size. Too much for bondo. Out comes the resin. I had never worked with resin so thanks to vid1900 for his detailed instructions on how to set big voids.

IMG_2594 (resized).JPGIMG_2595 (resized).JPGIMG_2596 (resized).JPGIMG_2597 (resized).JPGIMG_2598 (resized).JPG
IMG_2593 (resized).JPG

Custom rails in the works at the fabricator and some gold & bronze samples are in their way from prismatic powders.

Forms removed. It was still a touch tacky so I'll wait to sand and shape it this afternoon, hopefully. IMG_2600 (resized).JPGIMG_2601 (resized).JPG

At fist glance, good I think. From memory, no noticable missing ink or bubbling. It's a nips/toe version, lol. I say that but I glanced over my Flash Gordon back glass back when I got it and thought it was perfect when I was wrapping up that restore and it wasn't. I'll have to check again; you got me wondering now.

Thank you.

It's an unbelievably cool game with so many quirky things. Add to a beautiful art package (I love Kevin o'conners early Bally stuff) and it's a no-brainer to restore.

So the resin is cured enough to sand and shape. It turned out fabulous. When painted it will be unnoticeable. With the size of the void, the resin will be way more durable than bondo.
IMG_2602 (resized).JPGIMG_2603 (resized).JPGIMG_2604 (resized).JPGIMG_2605 (resized).JPG
IMG_2606 (resized).JPG

So the resin worked so well I decided to do some more smaller chips and veneer damage. I regrettably forgot to get a before picture but you can see the size and depth of the void. I feel more secure in the durability of resin repair corners than packing bondo in them.

Form set and resin poured.
IMG_2609 (resized).JPGIMG_2611 (resized).JPGIMG_2610 (resized).JPG

Form removed and resin set and cured in just about an hour.
IMG_2613 (resized).JPGIMG_2614 (resized).JPGIMG_2612 (resized).JPG

Sander and shaped. Good as new and unnoticeable after paint and hard as the original wood.

IMG_2618 (resized).JPGIMG_2617 (resized).JPGIMG_2616 (resized).JPGIMG_2615 (resized).JPG

So I got my samples of powder in. Not super excited by any of them. The dark bronze is out as well as the translucent gold (I think). I'm going to think on it some more and go from there. Thoughts?

IMG_2619 (resized).JPGIMG_2621 (resized).JPGIMG_2622 (resized).JPGIMG_2623 (resized).JPG

Thanks man I appreciate it.

Bondo fiberglass resin.

Rear panel next. Turned out out ok, not as perfect as the last two. The pressed board rear panel soaked up the moisture and swelled some. That caused some lifting when I sanded. Not make or break; it just caused more work. I have to now fill the low as well as lifted spots with bondo. Structurally, it's still 100x stronger than packing it with bondo so in the end a success. The resin also leached more than I would have liked under the flashing at the bottom panel. Again, not life shattering as I sand these smooth, over glaze and seal. It just causes more work sanding it down. I still have more sanding on the inside lip but I am going to left the pressed board dry out some more to hopefully minimize any more lifting.

Chewed up panel before:IMG_2629 (resized).JPGIMG_2628 (resized).JPG

Forms in place: IMG_2632 (resized).JPG

Pouring resin:
IMG_2633 (resized).JPG

Forms removed. Resin cured. You can see the bleed:

IMG_2637 (resized).JPG

Shaped:

IMG_2646 (resized).JPGIMG_2645 (resized).JPGIMG_2642 (resized).JPG

IMG_2625 (resized).JPG

IMG_2635 (resized).JPG

I also got the rails dropped off for a custom cut. He has updated waterjet software that now allows him to scan images and reproduce the cuts exactly as scanned. Since the sides don't have the game name anywhere on them, I opted to cut the rails with the logo without the Bally.
IMG_2608 (resized).PNG

First round of filling and sanding done. Humidity is playing hell with my kick times on catalyzed products. Couple more rounds of filling and sanding and it will look like glass. IMG_2647 (resized).JPG

I'm in Pittsburg for replayfx so minimal updates this weekend. I did get my test rail mock-up back. It looks great but I want it to be a little longer. I think it will look sweet when done.

IMG_2656 (resized).JPG

So I decided to come home early. I had a package from amazon I've been waiting to try out. I'm tired of messing with bondo to fill the open grain and gouges. It spreads like crap and sands even worse. I started looking for alternatives to bondo and come up with this. It seems to get pretty good reviews.
IMG_2661 (resized).JPG

No more pink, now its baby shit green.

IMG_2662 (resized).JPG

I spreads like butter, has a consistent cure time and sands 100% better than bondo. It's not cheap at all but well worth the price since I have two more cabs to go after this one.

Thank you. I'm liking it so far. Bondo is shit and spreads even worse.

Getting closer to getting done on the outside. Hard to tell how bad the neck was now that it's almost done. I still have to second coat a few corners.
IMG_2671 (resized).JPG

Cleaning off the excess 30 years old glue from the blocking at the bottom panel. I found heating up a putty knife was enough to soften the glue enough to pop free with out damaging the pressed board bottom.

IMG_2667 (resized).JPGIMG_2666 (resized).JPGIMG_2664 (resized).JPGIMG_2665 (resized).JPG

I have half time glazing putty on the way in the mail. It should be here Tuesday. I'll have to check out the resin.

So I have been sanding the bottom on the inside. There are (were) a couple bad stains. More so at the cash box area. I got most of that out but the two small areas to the left and right were atrocious. This area is next to impossible to sand; even by hand. I can't stand to leave it like that...

IMG_2539 (resized).JPG
So I pulled the bracing out that forms the cash box to get access to sand the floor.

IMG_2677 (resized).JPGIMG_2675 (resized).JPG

And both removed. EasyIMG_2679 (resized).JPGIMG_2678 (resized).JPG

Lunch break then sanding, brace replacement and I can move on to the next item.

Next up is sealing the bottom. One more thing checked off. Slowly but surely.IMG_2681 (resized).JPG

IMG_2682 (resized).JPG

I have been happy with the new filler. The reviews make it sound like it is clog free which it's not. It does clog up the sand paper to a certain extent but not even a fraction of what bondo does. Its big plus is the spreadable nature. It's like buttering bread. It also (the few times so far) has had very consistent kick times. I'm better able to gauge my usage against my available time to minimize waste with cure product on my mixing board. I will never go back to bondo. In fact, I pitched a 3/4's full gallon pail of bondo. It's just not worth the headache.

The half time glazing putty isn't a bondo product from what I can tell. It got rave reviews amongst the auto restores community (as did the rage filler). time will tell. It's supposed to be here today. I'm hoping to get into it this weekend.

I went by the Sherwin-Williams auto paint store today. I used the red of the playfield as my match to the cabinet. Who would have thought this box would be over $300. Thank fully I had reducer for some of the colors left over from the last game as well as the clear. IMG_2753 (resized).JPGIMG_2752 (resized).JPG

I got a pint sample of a gold I like. I wanted to break away from the color scheme most often picked for this game but in the end, sometimes the right scheme is the right scheme for deep red/maroon and gold it is.

Thanks man. I bought it based on the awesome Kevin O'Connor art. I had never played it before. I absolutely love it's unique layout. Delightful game.

Cash box being rebuilt. IMG_2758 (resized).JPG

The joy of masking tight small areas begins...IMG_2760 (resized).JPG

And all done masking everything off. I can now move on to sanding and filling the interior of the side panels.

IMG_2766 (resized).JPG

Yeah. Masking paper just doesn't hold up for the duration of me working on the interior of the cabinet. I use masking paper on the exterior side of the bottom where the wear and tear of the restoration process is minimal.

The original cleaned up nicely. I would say 90% of new. I don't like destroying the lock mitre joint if I don't have to.

I was wrongly under the impression half time was a glazing compound. It is in fact a light weight filler. My mistake. So it looks like I am at a stop until I can get a glazing compound. Then I can final sand to get it silky smooth and get a prime coat on it so I can see what needs more filling.

I shifted gear to the head while I wait for some glazing putty.

Removing everything. I forgot to get a picture of the head with the foil cardboard grounding panel removed.

IMG_2787 (resized).JPGIMG_2773 (resized).JPG

I already rebuilt the right side corners with resin. The left is/was worse. This cabinet head has lived a rough life.

Forms set
IMG_2825 (resized).JPG

Forms removed
IMG_2831 (resized).JPGIMG_2827 (resized).JPG

IMG_2829 (resized).JPG

Not much in the way of exciting updates but it is documenting the process. So, as I stated before, the left side of the head was really chewed up. I set the corners the other day since they were such big fills. Yesterday I went about fixing the edge joining the two corners.

Sanded and prepped:

IMG_2836 (resized).JPGIMG_2834 (resized).JPG

Formed and poured:
IMG_2838 (resized).JPGIMG_2837 (resized).JPG

Forms removed:

IMG_2840 (resized).JPGIMG_2839 (resized).JPG

Sanded and shaped. Nice new crisp 90 degree corner that is not going to chip.

IMG_2841 (resized).JPGIMG_2842 (resized).JPGIMG_2843 (resized).JPGIMG_2844 (resized).JPG

It is a thin material,usually a single component light spot filler. It's not for structurally filling holes and large depressions. It's used to spot small blemishes overlooked or accentuated after priming. Since it spreads so thin, I do one round after two part filling along with my final sand and then again after sand the first coat of primer. This picture from a previous restoration shows how the grain opened back up on my last game when the primer hit the wood. Before priming, it was completely smooth. The glazing putty allowed me to fill these small voids easily. For reference, the splitting you see is roughly the width of a grain of rice. IMG_0409 (resized).JPGIMG_0410 (resized).JPG

Continuing with the left side. This side must have had prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. The veneer is severely planked and splitting. I brushed a layer of resin across the whole face, allowing it to seep under and fill the splits in the veneer. I also puddle filled the major gouges and chipping.

Before:
IMG_2848 (resized).JPGIMG_2849 (resized).JPG

Resin applied:

IMG_2852 (resized).JPGIMG_2853 (resized).JPGIMG_2851 (resized).JPG

No I don't plan on it.

Resin on the left side of the head sanded smooth. It tightened the planking up nicely. You can see the cured brown resin in the gaps on this close-up picture:
IMG_2856 (resized).JPG

And a full shot. The large chip filled in nicely too:
IMG_2855 (resized).JPG

It was asked about the glazing putty. In this closeup you can see the fine curly-q scratches from the sanding pad even though it was sanded with 220. From here, I'll final sand by hand with a slightly higher grit and this side will be ready for priming.
IMG_2857 (resized).JPG

Overall shot for perspective.

IMG_2858 (resized).JPG

Glazing putty hand sanded. Here you can see the swirls that were filled. These swirls are a result of having to use a powered sander to sand the lightweight filler skim coat. The lightweight is needed to fill the larger inclusions. The red is obviously the glazing filling any remaining open grain and micro scratches. Now that this is done I can almost move on to primer and start the glazing and hand sanding process all over again.

IMG_2859 (resized).JPG

IMG_2861 (resized).JPG

IMG_2860 (resized).JPG

I like to put a nice fresh, clean 45 degree bevel on the cabinet outside bottom edges. It's near impossible to free hand it with an orbital sander. You invariably change the angle of the sander so the outside edge undulates up and down. This is especialy critical when installing/trimming decals. I'm sure there's a tool for this and if so please link me. I always just end up making a 45 degree beveling sanding block out of scrap 2x4's. I present my marvel of ingenuity, lol.

IMG_2875 (resized).JPGIMG_2876 (resized).JPGIMG_2874 (resized).JPG

And the result is a beautiful, straight 45 degree bevel. IMG_2877 (resized).JPGIMG_2878 (resized).JPG

I don't own a router. Scraps of wood = free. Only took me a couple minutes to sand and make the block.

Looking for input. Top or bottom size? I'm pretty sure I'm going with the bottom size. IMG_2880 (resized).JPG

Thanks for the quick feedback. You guys confirmed my inclination.

It's definitely a trade-off but in the end the top is just too small and would get swallowed visually.

I sprayed out my gold sample to see how it would look. My back door just so happens to be a similiar red as the cab will be to get an idea. I was going to go more yellow gold but I think it would be too flashy.
IMG_2882 (resized).JPGIMG_2881 (resized).JPG

I'm still working on prepping the head. It is/was a mess with tons of veneer chipping, planking and gouges and dings. I'm going to have as much time in the head as I do in the base cabinet...

They are all automotive paints made by Sherwin-Williams Automotive. I have the base coats made in the economical dimensions line.
The problem is most of the deep colors (i.e. Red) require their high quality lines such as Ultra 7000. Sherwin Automotive doesn't do electronic color eye matches so everything starts with a stock color close to the target then alter the formula from there. The red I chose for the cabinet isn't the deep maroon from the factory. I matched the red on the playfield. I haven't sprayed a sample card yet but I'm assuming while it's not exact, it will end up being close enough. Keep in mind my gold is not even close to the color from the factory. That's a mustardy yellow. The primer is a 2k high solids urethane primer. It's fantastic. Be prepared, auto paint isn't cheap.

IMG_2888 (resized).JPGIMG_2889 (resized).JPGIMG_2890 (resized).JPG

I know commercial stores do. I have dealt with them for a long time. This is only my second experience with the automotive arm. The manager is either lying to me or they truely don't have one. I'll call the VP of sales for the east coast in the morning and get to the bottom of it. I spent two hours in the store messing with color matches.

Thanks Mike.

I'm trying to get primer on this weekend but I have my doubts. Getting the head back in shape has been rough. It was in bad, bad shape. Small update. The back panel of the head is made of pressed board and is swollen and warped in places. I first lightweight filled the major areas and then sanded and leveled. After that I skimmed the whole thing with glazing putty. IMG_2891 (resized).JPG

After block sanding the glazing putty, you're left with this. The spots of red are filler in the porous areas of the pressed board and over all low spots. IMG_2892 (resized).JPG

A couple thoughts. I'm still impressed with my choice to go with a new filler as opposed to using bondo. With bondo, I was constantly fighting gummed up sandpaper. Now I don't replace sand paper unless it's worn. No gumming. It makes up its cost alone in wasted sand paper. Curing times are still consistent it still applies buttery smooth.
The other thought is how did I live so long without a good quality air powered sander. On all my other restorations, I used an electric orbital sander. They're heavy, loud and difficult to adjust the speed on the fly. With an air powered sander, I can feather the speed with the air paddle or permantly throttle it with the regulator on the side of the sander. It makes feathering seem almost too easy. I don't know how got along without it.

Fingers crossed I get into primer today...

Thankfully I was able to get primer on. It appears that the diligent prep work will lead to minimal rework after the primer is sanded.

Nice and reflective. A good indication of a smooth, closed grain surface
IMG_2898 (resized).JPGIMG_2895 (resized).JPG

This is also the first test of my new paint booth setup. It worked out better than I had hoped. Overspray was quickly jettisoned and exhausted out the side window from the positively pressurized room. Success. Finishing up next weekend. A few more pictures.
IMG_2896 (resized).JPGIMG_2897 (resized).JPG

Thank you.

A little test sanding on the worst parts of the head to see how much, if any additional work is needed. These sides were severely planked with the veneer split up to an 1/8" in some places. There were also large chips and voids. Very silky smooth. So far so good! IMG_2899 (resized).JPGIMG_2900 (resized).JPG

Got my cut rails back today. The look great but I may have screwed up going with the bigger sized font. I will know better when I get them attached properly. IMG_2909 (resized).JPGIMG_2911 (resized).JPG

Color on finally. I'm really happy with the color match. The surfaces turned out smooth as glass. Look at the reflection. That's without a clear coat. Up next is the stencil and the gold.

IMG_2924 (resized).JPG

IMG_2926 (resized).JPG

IMG_2925 (resized).JPG

IMG_2927 (resized).JPG

IMG_2928 (resized).JPG

Thanks guys. Gold on. I was wrong to be worried if I picked the right gold. It's perfect. Clear up next.

IMG_2929 (resized).JPG

IMG_2930 (resized).JPG

IMG_2932 (resized).JPG

IMG_2933 (resized).JPG

IMG_2934 (resized).JPG

IMG_2935 (resized).JPG

IMG_2936 (resized).JPG

IMG_2937 (resized).JPG

Clear on. Everything was looking outstanding

IMG_2939 (resized).JPGIMG_2940 (resized).JPGIMG_2941 (resized).JPGIMG_2943 (resized).JPGIMG_2944 (resized).JPGIMG_2945 (resized).JPG

...until a dreaded run. $&@!?. A nickel sized run in otherwise beautiful clear coat finish. Time to wet sand. IMG_2942 (resized).JPG

Thanks guys. Other than my tiny flub, it is stunning. It's 10x better than the pictures show.

No kidding. Every time I nitpick a small inclusion, I have to remind myself where the cab started from. The head was in bad shape.

Use 1,000 then 1,500 and the 3,000 grit wet/dry sandpaper wet then sand, sand, sand. Then buff and polish. Probably a couple hours of work for a damn nickel sized mistake.

So I started working out the run.
IMG_2946 (resized).JPGIMG_2948 (resized).JPG

I'm going to reshoot the side, then sand it all to level any orange peel then cut,buff and polish. I have never cut and polish clear before so this will be a first for me. I have a Mikita buffer coming Tuesday along with 3m foam pads and liquids. Crossing my fingers. I'm dipping my toes into something new but I want the sides to look like glass.

The whole side. I needed more fine grit wet/dry paper.

Thanks for the kind words. I figured I'd post the 100th post in this thread. Wet sanding going well. Areas not close to the gold are nearly completely flat, void of orange peel. Near and around the gold, there is still slight peel but I'm deathly areas of breaking through the clear into the gold. I'm also concerned about wet sanding the mdf back/bottom. That stuff swells just looking at water. Very close to buffing. If all goes well, I'm going to shoot more clear on the other side and wet sand/buff it next. After that, I may venture into clearing my own playfields.

IMG_2951 (resized).JPG

IMG_2953 (resized).JPG

IMG_2952 (resized).JPG

I appreciate the words of encouragement. This is definitely a step out of my comfort zone but ultimatly necessary to get me to where I want my cabs to be. I am still apprehensive of water and wood. I'm afraid I'll look at it in the morning and it will be swelled up everywhere a hole in the cab is.

I followed up with 2000 grit. Holy shit wet/dry sand paper is expensive. $45 a sleeve of 50 sheets. Looks pretty damn smooth now though. It's still hard to believe cutting and polishing brings the shine back. I'll find out tomorrow I guess.

IMG_2955 (resized).JPG
IMG_2956 (resized).JPG

**Edit: holy crap amazon rocks. My buffer already came. It wasn't supposed to be here until tomorrow. Ordered at 4pm on a Sunday and here 24hrs later. Now I just need my compounds.

bam10 is there a definitive cleaner between polishing stages? I see some say spray wax, others say no way. I don't want to cross contaminate. I'm assuming these pads will work (3M Perfect it BUFFING & POLISHING KIT Pad Compound Foam 39062 39061 39060 5723 5725 5751 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0082LK87Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_dsiPzbNC9S64S) with the hook and loop plate the buffer came with. Plate and pads are both 7". The plate didn't come with a nut, I'm assuming that's correct?
IMG_2958 (resized).JPG

IMG_2960 (resized).JPGIMG_2961 (resized).JPG

Holy crap. Cutting and polishing done. It turned out amazing. So little effort and time too. I could have got more of the orange peel out but I'm still learning and was deathly afraid of sanding through the clear coat. The peal you see at the top will be covered by the rail. It's outstanding. Looks like a mirror and feels like glass.

IMG_2963 (resized).JPG
IMG_2966 (resized).JPG
IMG_2964 (resized).JPG

I have another side. Don't jinx me.

So I sanded the other side and sprayed some more clear to allow a good leveling wet sand so I could cut and buff it to match the other side. Clear still wet. Sanding tomorrow.
IMG_2975 (resized).JPG

I also wet sanded and cut and buffed the back of the head. I'm waiting on 3" pads and backing plate to do the sides of the head and the front panel of the cab. IMG_2974 (resized).JPGIMG_2968 (resized).JPGIMG_2967 (resized).JPG

Sorry @aurich. They were pretty but don't fit the scheme. The picture with the spots of gray are etching primer where sanding broke through to bare metal. The other is a full hs urethane primer. IMG_2985 (resized).JPGIMG_2987 (resized).JPG

Left side wet sanding done. I'll let it dry well and then on to buffing.

IMG_2988 (resized).JPGIMG_2991 (resized).JPG

It was hard to do. They had a pretty finish.

Left side cut and buffed. Getting better at this. A couple stubborn wet sanding scratches but 99% beautiful.

IMG_2992 (resized).JPGIMG_2993 (resized).JPGIMG_2994 (resized).JPG

Ups brought my 3" backing plate and 3" pads. I was able to hook it up to my angle die grinder. Now I can get into tight spaces to cut and polish. It took some practice to get the throttle feathered while turning down the psi. In then end it worked great. Getting close to wrapping up the cabinet.
IMG_2995 (resized).JPGIMG_2996 (resized).JPG

Thanks man. I appreciate that. Are you talking about those 6000 grit sponges you put on a da?

Legs and lockdown bar refreshed in gold. I'm going to shoot them in clear when I get the front of the cab sanded for more clear.

IMG_2997 (resized).JPG

Front panel clear added and legs/lockdown bar cleared as well.

The gold looks fantastic.
IMG_3002 (resized).JPGIMG_3003 (resized).JPGIMG_3004 (resized).JPG
IMG_3006 (resized).JPG

I can sand then cut/buff tomorrow after the cleared has cured.

Wrapping up a productive pin day. Since I had to wait on clear coat to cure I figured I would work on stripping the playfield and watch some college football.
IMG_3026 (resized).JPG

I have to pull out my cpr playfield and look at the zipper mech area. I sure hope all the recesses for the hardware are routed out. I know the pop housings are but the extent of the zipper area shocked me.

IMG_3027 (resized).JPG

Sure. I am using a Makita 9237C rotary polisher. There are a bunch of good ones but I found online this one is consisntly mentioned as a good buffer. The key is to get one with a soft start and a reliable rpm setting switch. It comes with 7" hook and loop backing plate. Mine came with a nice bag.

For tighter spaces I used a dewalt angle die grinder with a 3" soft hook and loop backing plate from the chemical guys. It worked great getting into tight places.

The pads and compound/polishes are all from the 3m perfect-it line. The white foam pad for the white bottle top labeled #1 and so forth as shown in the picture.

The 3" black pads can be used for either compound or polish so I used two separate ones.

You need several clean, dedicated to each step microfiber towels to wipe and clean each step. Don't mix and match for fear of cross contamination.

Lastly I used meguiar's inspection spray to final clean after everything.

I hope this helps.

IMG_3039 (resized).JPGIMG_3040 (resized).JPG

It looks great. I was just trying to see how good I could push myself. I still comprised on some things but it's a learning process for me as I go along.

No, in order to sand and level the clear without going through the clear to the color base coat, it has to be relatively thick. The plus side is you can't feel the stencil edges at all when it's all said and done. It's completely smooth when done. I would guess 4 coats.

Your stencils helped. They were a dream to work with as usual.

Cabinet sides sanded, cut and buffed. The head is done. The front panel of the cab was still soft so I haven't been able to sand on that yet. I also got the lock bar sanded, cut and buffed. So very close to wrapping up cabinet painting.

IMG_3041 (resized).JPG

IMG_3043 (resized).JPG

IMG_3042 (resized).JPG

IMG_3044 (resized).JPG

I pulled the cabinet protection off too see how the inside looks finished off. Big difference.

IMG_3048 (resized).JPG

IMG_3049 (resized).JPG

IMG_3050 (resized).JPG

Wrapped up. I have a couple tweaks but it's 95% done. The stipple at the sides of the cab at the top will be covered by the side rails. Same with the front panel. The coin door trim will cover it. I'm still working out the side rail issue. The legs are just loosely being held in place. I will paint the bolts eventually too.

IMG_3051 (resized).JPG
IMG_3054 (resized).JPG
IMG_3055 (resized).JPG
IMG_3060 (resized).JPG
IMG_3057 (resized).JPG
IMG_3058 (resized).JPG

I can't leave the tilt assembly and light panel boards out of the fun. The tilt board was rough, scrap plywood. I'll see how nice I can get it looking.

IMG_3098 (resized).JPG

IMG_3101 (resized).JPG

IMG_3103 (resized).JPG

IMG_3106 (resized).JPG

IMG_3110 (resized).JPG

Thank you everyone. I appreciate the kind words.

So this came in the mail today.

IMG_3124 (resized).JPG

IMG_3125 (resized).JPG
I figure the amount I spent on custom paint masks from the local sign company would pay for the machine. It's surprisingly easy to use. I was even able to figure out how to make registration marks stay the same across each layer allowing for proper lining up when painting. Let's see what kind of customizations I can come up with. Hopefully it all works out. For now, the tests are promising. The "a" has a cutout btw

IMG_3121 (resized).JPGIMG_3120 (resized).JPGIMG_3126 (resized).JPG

IMG_3122 (resized).JPG

It's the silhouette cameo 3. It seems good. I can't get the damn Bluetooth to work for some reason though.

I'm pretty sure I do in my ever expand pile of crap. Thanks for asking, Aurich.

Very productive day. I put my new plotter to use today. Why I didn't buy one before is beyond me. The amount of time and money I spent on my last restore with custom stencils could have bout two of these. It is unbelievably easy to manipulate and use.

First up is the light panel. Some people on my Flash Gordon restore suggested putting Ming there for its light panel. On this restore, I went Medusa. I plan on wet sanding and buffing this too.

IMG_3147 (resized).JPG
IMG_3136 (resized).JPG
I also worked on the coin door. Hep did something I liked where he painted the diamond red and put the snake head in it. I went red diamond but went with the Bally logo complete with drop shadow. It's not perfect. The black separated from the gold some. Not sure if I'm leaving it or sanding and redoing it.

IMG_3146 (resized).JPGIMG_3145 (resized).JPGIMG_3144 (resized).JPGIMG_3143 (resized).JPGIMG_3142 (resized).JPG

I also got some of the other coin door parts painted. I'll clear everything tomorrow.

IMG_3138 (resized).JPGIMG_3139 (resized).JPG

I wasn't happy with how the coin door turned out so I redid it. Much better. Looks clean and elegant. Clear is still wet. Once dry, I will sand and buff it to shiny. Absolutely loving the ability to cut stencils on demand. IMG_3150 (resized).JPGIMG_3149 (resized).JPGIMG_3148 (resized).JPG

Ha.

Yeah loving the plotter. Very useful for restorations.

I was dying to see the door mocked up. Everything is just sitting loosely. Looks great imo.

IMG_3153 (resized).JPG

IMG_3154 (resized).JPG

I was able to get the light panel wet sanded, cut and buffed. The 3" buffer wasn't cutting it so I rigged up a jig to hold the panel in place so I could pull out the 7" makita.

IMG_3156 (resized).JPG
There's that pretty shine.

IMG_3157 (resized).JPGIMG_3158 (resized).JPG
I'm struggling to fine a suitable powder coat match to the automotive gold. It doesn't have to be exact but close. I've already burned through 6 samples. I'm not sure how many more they'll send me. LOL.

I hate making stupid simple mistakes. I was working on adding a medusa "M" to the coin door insert blank. All was well until the paint mask left some glue residue. Instead of waiting for the gold to dry, I messed with getting off and nicked a fraction of the gold. Enough to have to redo it again.

Masked and gold shot.

IMG_3161 (resized).JPG
My stupid mistake

IMG_3162 (resized).JPG
Mocked-up to see how it looks. Other than my screwup, it looks sweet imo. Time to redo it.

IMG_3163 (resized).JPG

And redone. IMG_3164 (resized).JPGIMG_3165 (resized).JPG

2 coats wet on wet 2-5 mins between. I then let it set 30-45 mins and repeat one more wet on wet application.

Besides my positively charged spray booth that ejects vapors and particulate nearly immediately, this is all I need/use

IMG_3178 (resized).JPG

I'm going to try clearing my cpr silver myself. The existing clear is abysmal. I see how that goes.

Thank you.

We'll see how it goes. I'm a little ways off before I tackle that. I need to build a playfield jig too.

Thank you. No it's not a traditional spray booth, it's diy. Nothing over the top. I just followed online guides for sizing the intake fan to sufficiently pressurize the room. With the window in the room open the pressurized air rushes out the window to try to equalize the pressure. The room clears in moments. The room itself is just half my garage finished with the intake fan mounted in the wall. Like I said, nothing fancy but is highly effective in evacuating noxious odors and overspray.

Thank you.

Lots of gold done today.

Coin door trim/hardware, neck vent screen and hinges.
IMG_3221 (resized).JPG

I also bought new side rails. I had new side rails custom cut with medusa that were measured wrong and showed the plastic glass channel through the cut out. I instead went the stencil route on the new one. The saving to not recut them paid for my vinyl plotter purchase.

Primed
IMG_3211 (resized).JPG

Red laid and stencil in place
IMG_3212 (resized).JPG

Gold shot
IMG_3214 (resized).JPG

Stencil removed and clear shot
IMG_3218 (resized).JPG

Mocked-up on the cabinet. We have a winner.

IMG_3220 (resized).JPG

I will sand and buff them and the coin door tomorrow.

Switching gears to powder coating. The backside of the coin door will be powder coated. I hope the red I picked is close enough to the cab. It doesn't need to be perfect just close. IMG_3222 (resized).JPG

So no luck on the powder I picked. Way too purple.
IMG_3231 (resized).JPG

That means I have to paint everything. Since I was painting, I went gold. Lots and lots of gold.

IMG_3232 (resized).JPG

Coin door is going to look great when it's all back together. IMG_3236 (resized).JPG